Flock Hill

If you don't plan, things will still happen. Amazing. We have been staying at the Craigeburn camp ground which is just 10 minutes drive from the boulder fields, less if you are going to Flock. We've met all sorts of characters here at the camp but it wasn't until my friend Justin Wood arrived that we met Derek Thatcher and the strongmen of Castle Hill. We met the boys at the Flock Hill parking and zoomed up to the boulders. It was still early, 9 am maybe, and there was slippery frost covering the ground. People kept disappearing into the tall grass with a yelp and someone would yell, "Boom-agata!" Which to me sounds like a line from a Tribe Called Quest rhyme.

Lady Killer v3

We warmed up on a beautiful slabby, runnel problem and on many others whose names I know not. There is no formal guide for Flock Hill. But that's why we have Derek. There is something to be said however for heading up there without a clue because there are so many boulders, moderate problems, easy obvious warm-ups, and projects to be cleaned so fresh eyes are appreciated here!


Justin working on an FA.

The vibe was buoyant. The guys were sending their long standing projects, cleaning new ones, and sending those too. It was impressive and it set the scene for our trip here.

Pete "The Radness" on Mullet Arete v6


My project Mobeous v8


Even Ava was inspired!


Zac on Vapor Trail

James Morris working a project just before getting the second ascent of Derek Thatcher's Vapor Trail v10.

Captain Contact
Justin's 10th v8 of the day, his first day in Castle Hill.

The sun set behind the mountains and we were still climbing, the flash from Kyle's camera gave us just enough light to see the holds.


We descended the hill as the stars woke up. Sliding into thorny plants and falling over rocks, it would have been very helpful if we had brought our head lamps! We found ourselves running downhill trying to descend the 25 minute trek to flat land before we hit total darkness for the remaining 20 minute walk. When can we go to Flock Hill next!

Castle Hill!!! Finally!

I've been so wrapped up in Castle Hill I all but forgot to update the blog (also our internet connection is patchy at best). My apologies. Let me start from the beginning as best I can...
We were driving in our little red van. Driving, driving, driving. We drove from Napier to Wellington, had a lovely lunch, drove around the beautiful and dense coastal city.


Then we drove onto a ferry that was supposed to only be a four hour tour that would deliver us to the south island. It turned out to be seven hours because the ferry broke down in the middle of the harbor. sweet. We arrived on the south island and headed in the direction of Castle Hill. With perfect weather we were completely entranced by the ocean and it's rocky wonderland of sea life.

Carrie photo

Ava and I hung out at the beach while Kyle surfed. I wish I had photos of him surfing!!!
We camped just off the beach and woke up to a seal about 20 feet away basking in the morning sun. It was beautiful.


Ava has the best bed head complete with dread locks. Every morning.
Then we drove some more, down the coast and headed inland through hilly farmland and up into the mountains. By this time we were all a bit road weary, and I was aching to rock climb. I hadn't done much research on the area. I've learned through years of traveling that plans are best left unmade until you have a realistic idea of what a place is about. So, we looked on the map, saw a peak called Castle Hill and headed in that direction, hoping it was the right area!
As we drove round the twists and turns that lead up the slope my heart was beating faster in anticipation of the first glimpse of rock. I'd been waiting for what seemed like months to reach this place and now we were almost there...

Quantum Hill

The easiest area to get to is Quantum. It is reached easily by all manner of tourist and athlete alike. We ran around our first day like giddy school children. We left the pad in the car and went on a reconiscence mission to find out what this place was about. It's like a candy shop of boulders that attract even the most novice of climbers.

This is Ava's favorite climb and it's actually in the guide book! Ava's first established rock climb.

Because this area is so easily accessible it gets the most traffic making it pretty slippery and glassy. Many of the classic problems you can barely climb because they are so slick. The first day we spent our time on easy climbs that we could do barefoot. Climbers were stopping to ask if we needed to use their pads and we would thank then but decline their offer as the problems we were spending our time on had the most perfect grassy landings, who needed a pad! We would soon find out why.
The climbing in Quantum is really smeary with lots of mantels and slabs and reachy high balls.

Monkey and the Magic Peach (v8), still a goal. Apparently to gain purchase on that runnel you have to knee bar on your hand reach up with your left hand, tilt your head to the left then rock over your foot. Seriously.


Carrie photo...check out the manly beard!

Dominatrix v6 with a "technical knee bar" sit start. Flashed it.





Project


It was sunny but cold and even so we had no idea that it was going to dump snow on us in the middle of the night!



Jason Myer and I having a snow ball fight! That day we left for Christchurch to find a home. A place to live in winter, inside.

Hokitika

Our impetus for journeying to Hokitika and the west coast was a shoot Kyle had for Canoe and Kayak Magazine. He was commissioned to do portraits of two bad ass Kiwi kayakers:

Graham Charles


AND


Paul Caffyn


Both of whose kayaking endeavors are well worth a Google.

It felt great to leave a place feeling like we saw all the good stuff (though naively). Hokitika is a small town south of Greymouth and is the bounty center for the New Zealand Greenstone (jade) known as pounamu. The river that empties into the ocean at Hokitika carries with it huge chunks of pounamu that local carvers turn into beautiful jewlery pieces and other carved works of art. The greenstone is rare and the art is an age old practice of the Maori. We met up with a local carver at Te Waipounamu and he gave us the full tour. During which Ava picked up a pounamu necklace and threw it at the carver, who later gave it to her as a gift. Kyle and I picked piece for each other and have not removed them since.

Cultural experience, check.

After downing some delicious fish and chips we headed to Hokitika Gorge to see the fabled majestic turquoise river.

It was so ravishing that I wanted to leap off the 40 foot high swing bridge into its swirling waters.

The hues of blue were not so mesmerizing as to block out the apocolyptic swarms of sand flies that bite on any area of exposed skin.

We escaped them by staying on the bridge - apparently they are afraid of heights.

Before dusk we took a trip to the ocean.

We taunted the sea gulls.

We stacked rocks,

and played with the waves.

The Pass

After spending time in Christchurch we headed up and over the mountains to the west coast. The winding pass from Christchurch to Arthur's Pass is, to put it simply, intimidating. The road itself is narrow and the beauty that surrounds it is imposing.
The sheer faces of the 1587m high mountains seem to rise vertically and with little slope into the heavens. The valley floor is wide and cut with meandering streams and rivers that slow to pause at clear lakes that sit like mirrors for the vanity of the mountains. It is nothing short of breathtaking.
As the road begins its descent into Greymouth you get to experience Kiwi ingenuity at it's finest.
Water is funneled from great heights by concrete shoots that extend, like an awning, over the highway. The highway is truely that. A narrow winding bridge that hovers in space above the turmoil of rocks and water below.


Just as you begin to zone into a peaceful state of humbleness the landscape changes to forest covered hills with enormous fern trees that seem almost tropical. Lush and green the climate becomes wetter and warmer as you approach the coast.

Napier to Wellington

We arrived in Napier, art deco capital of New Zealand, expecting to be transported to the 1930's. Being a fan of the Great Gatsby and an even bigger fan of Art Nouveaux, my expectations were set high.
In 1931, Napier experienced an earthquake that rated 7.9 on the Richter scale and it leveled the city. They decided to rebuild in the architectural style of the day: Art Deco. We found the city to be quaint and a little quiet so no need to turn on all those florescent lights that would have added some color to the town. The stained glass was impressive. It seemed every house, even the shanties were adorned with it.
I fell for this statue on the waterfront that absolutely deserves a name.



This area of New Zealand is called Hawkes Bay and it's known for producing very nice Sauvignon Blancs and Syrahs. We thought we should probably go sample some for ourselves. We visited New Zealand's oldest vineyard, The Mission Estate Winery, for a leisurely Sunday brunch.


Carrie photo

We sat in the courtyard overlooking the vineyard and all the while I felt like I should be dressed as in a Monet or Cezanne painting. It felt a little odd to step out of our hippy van and into a refined lifestyle. One which we happily played along with for a few hours.


Carrie photo


Near to Napier is a special place with an even more special name: Blow Hard Bush. A bush reserve with many beautiful species of NZ birds. It is also the home to some of the most unusual bouldering I've ever seen.


Reactor (v7)

Down in the dark of the jungle are horizontal roofs with perfect hand sized tufas. The rck is dark, the tufas light. It is an artistic contrast that even a non climber could appreciate.


Utopia (v5)

just a shorty clip

Sonic the Hedgehog (v6)

Napier was a full palette: architecture, ocean, art, wine, climbing, nature. It was definitely time to leave the north island and head south.
On our drive down to the ferry terminal city of Wellington, we had to make a few stops...



New Zealand has the best playgrounds in the world!



From the North island to the South Island

The four hour ferry ride was beautiful!